Biosensing

The development of compact sensors capable of rapid and highly accurate diagnostics is an important challenge in a wide range of applications, including monitoring environmental and food contamination, as well as point-of-care diagnostics of various diseases. Among the different types of sensors, optical sensors are particularly promising. Their operation is based on detecting changes in optical properties depending on the concentration of the target analyte. An important parameter affecting the accuracy of such sensors is their sensitivity. One promising approach to enhancing the sensitivity of optical sensors is the use of nanostructures with unique optical properties.

Our group focuses on two areas of optical sensing. The first is the detection of low concentrations of various molecules, such as dyes and antibiotics, using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). This approach is based on enhancing the Raman signal through surfaces composed of gold or silver nanoparticles deposited on various substrates. The second area focuses on the colorimetric detection of biological targets, including viruses, bacteria, microRNAs, and exosomes, using resonant dielectric nanostructures.

Since 2018, our group has collaborated with the research group of Professor Yanlin Song at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In our joint research with Professor Yanlin Song and Professor Meng Su, we investigate approaches to overcoming the diffraction limits of optical sensing using nanostructured, green-fabricated photonic resonant structures and nano-optical sensing systems. The collaboration focuses on the fabrication of tunable photonic structures and the development of intelligent approaches to optical signal processing and applications, addressing research challenges of common interest to both groups. This collaboration provides a robust platform for joint research and lays a strong foundation for developing a research group with significant international impact. To date, we have published 10 joint papers.